Taxpayers! Meet Your New $1 Billion London Embassy

The need for a country’s presence in a foreign location is a must, especially with regard to the US and Great Britain.But America’s new $1 billion ultra-modern, high-security embassy in Battersea seems a bit expensive, even for London.

Maybe they used unionized British workers to dig the moat:

Times Online: A moat 30 metres (100ft) wide and rolling parkland will separate the building from the main road, protecting it from would-be bombers and removing the need for the blast barriers that so dismayed the people of Mayfair.

The State Department sought to play down the cost of security measures, noting the expense of London building work. But the price puts the London embassy above the US’s most fortified missions, including the Baghdad embassy, which cost $600 million (£390 million) but required a further $100 million of work on air conditioning, and the Islamabad embassy, still under construction, which has cost more than $850 million.

At the very least this sounds like an excuse to visit. American taxpayers mind as well enjoy their London largess.